


proposal

by angelsprunch



Series: tumblr requests [4]
Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Angst, Breakup, M/M, Oneshot, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 14:40:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13592247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelsprunch/pseuds/angelsprunch
Summary: richie wants to get married. he always has.





	proposal

**Author's Note:**

> i'm taking a break from code orange to write some oneshots !! feel free to make oneshot requests bc these have all been requested on my tumblr @fairyling

It was something that Richie knew he had wanted for as long as he could remember. He wanted to be married. He wanted a big grand gesture to display his love for someone else. He wanted proof that someone was committed to him for the rest of his life. Everything about marriage appealed to Richie Tozier. Everything from proposing, because he always knew that he’d be the one to pop the question, to the actual wedding where all eyes were on him and the love of his life. The idea of wearing a symbol of that commitment for the rest of his life made him starry eyed.

When Stan and Richie kissed for the first time, Richie thought that that was the person he wanted to stay with for the rest of his life. After that thought was processed, Richie wanted to punch himself because of how cliche it sounded. Richie had walked Stan home that night and immediately went to Bill’s house and demanded that Bill punch him in the face. Sadly, Bill refused to hit him and instead made Richie talk through what was bothering him. By the end of it all, Bill was laughing and he clapped Richie on the back. “Y-you’ve got it bad, k-kid.”

Fast forward and in high school Stan and Richie broke up four times. The first time was halfway through freshman year. They were broken up for a total of a month and a half. Richie had bloody knuckles from how many walls he punched and Stan’s eyes seemed to have a permanent red ring with how often he wept into his pillow. The losers couldn’t hang out as a group anymore because it was impossible to have Stan and Richie in the same room together. By the time they got back together neither boy remembered why things ended, they just knew that they never wanted to be apart again.

During lunch in their sophomore year Richie flicked his mashed potatoes at Stan. Stan broke up with him for a total of five minutes. Richie looked horrified and he started to take off his own shirt so Stan wouldn’t have to wear something dirty for the rest of the day. The Losers started laughing when Stan said he’d get back together with Richie “if he could, please, keep his fucking clothes on for once.”

Junior year went well. Neither boy went to prom, but they listened to music in Richie’s room and danced in the moonlight that streamed through the window. They fell asleep wrapped up in each other that night while one of Richie’s playlists played softly from his radio.

Senior year they broke up twice. During midterms they got into a screaming match in Bill’s garage. Stan stormed out and Richie watched helplessly before Beverly followed him. Bill and Eddie watched from the window while Beverly talked to Stan. Mike and Ben took Richie up to Bill’s room and tried to calm him down. None of the losers saw Stan until after their exam results came out. Even then, it took an additional three days for Stan and Richie to apologize and come back together. 

They broke up again two days before prom. Richie planned this extravagant promposal and it happened in front of the whole school. Stan said no and pushed past him to get to class. Richie just stared after Stan and yelled that he would find someone else to go with him then. It wasn’t an official breakup but they didn’t talk for two days. On prom night, Richie showed up on Stan’s doorstep and insisted that no one was a better date then Stan and even if they didn’t go to prom, he wanted to spend the evening with his boy. Stan forgave him and they cuddled on the couch watching movies all night.

They have currently been living in an apartment together for three years. The pressure of high school and their peers is no longer surrounding them. They still talk to the losers, but now that Richie and Stan have had time to better understand how the other one works it has gone a lot better. They still make mistakes and upset the other one, but they have managed to resolve all their fights. Richie knows what times of the day Stan is studying and he has learned how to be respectful of Stan’s space. Stan has learned how to pick up on the exact moments that Richie is about to act out and he gives him attention in subtle ways to keep Richie from doing something embarrassing.

They were out on a date because it was one of the rare times that they both had spare time and the money to treat each other. Richie had insisted that they go to Stan’s favorite restaurant and Stan agreed with some skepticism. Richie always complained that Stan’s favorite restaurant was too fancy for him, but Stan didn’t protest when Richie suggested it. As soon as they sat at their table, Stan knew something was up. He knew something was on Richie’s mind so he shifted conversation towards Richie. All of his attention was directed towards Richie and saying sweet things to his boyfriend. Still, nothing seemed to calm the jittery behavior. They were finishing up their plates and Stan was about to ask about dessert when Richie rested his palms on the table and stared at Stan.

“I think kissing you was the best decision I ever made.” he stated, seeming a bit more confident.

“I kissed you, moron.”

“Let me finish, Staniel! I think our kiss was the best thing that ever happened to me. You’ve always been my number one and I got to love you in a new way that felt so much more… right. I know it hasn’t been easy. We’ve had our struggles and our relationship wasn’t perfect. There were a few times that I didn’t think we’d make it and it was so hard to get through those moments. Yet, here we are. We’re twenty-two and we’re sitting in some snobby restaurant and I’m sitting across from the love of my life who would murder someone if he knew that he had some food on his chin.” Richie laughed and Stan shot him a glare as he wiped his face on his napkin.

“You’re being a sap, Rich.”

“I just want to appreciate my boyfriend. I am somehow the luckiest guy in the world. I don’t know what I did to deserve you and, to be frank, I think the universe fucked up somewhere. However, when I see the sunlight coming in through the window and lighting up your sleeping face or when we’re sitting on the couch and you rest your head on my shoulder, I know that I don’t want the universe to ever fix whatever mistake it may have made.” Richie smiled and laced his fingers together with Stan’s. “I love you. I will always love you. I…” Richie trailed off with a frown as he patted the pockets of his jacket.

The frown quickly turned into a goofy grin as he pulled out a small black box and set it on the table between the two of them. Stan’s eyes widened at the sight of the box and he shook his head a bit. “Rich, no. Don’t do this.” he hissed, feeling his stomach churn a bit at the thought of what was going to happen.

Richie either didn’t hear him or he didn’t care. He opened the box with one hand to reveal a simple but elegant band. There was something engraved on the inside, but Stan couldn’t figure out what it read. “Stanley Isaac Uris, I love you. You’re the light of my life. You inspire me to do better and be better. Will you, please, marry me?” he asked, goofy smile still present on his lips. Stan didn’t want to be the reason that smile went away.

“No.” he said, softly. Stan was unable to meet Richie’s eyes but he could only imagine what Richie’s face looked like as he felt Richie’s hand pull away. Stan bit his lower lip and he pulled out his debit card and left it on the table so Richie could pay for the meal. With that, Stan got up and ducked out of the restaurant. 

He couldn’t get married. They were too young. Stan loved Richie, he really did. He didn’t want to get married at twenty-one, though. He didn’t want to get engaged. He was happy with where things were. He didn’t want to wake up in five years and have either of them have regrets because they moved too fast. That was what Stan told himself as he hailed a cab and gave the driver Eddie’s address. He couldn’t face Richie tonight.


End file.
